- Houthi rebels have been using Russian satellite data to track ships in the Red Sea, The Wall Street Journal reported.
- The information was provided through members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard stationed in Yemen, according to the report.
- It comes after reports that Russia is considering sending anti-ship missiles to the Houthis.
Houthi rebels in Yemen used satellite data provided by Russia to target and attack commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The paper cited three unnamed sources, including two European defense officials.
One of the Journal’s sources said the satellite data was transferred to the Houthis through members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps who were linked to the rebels in Yemen.
The Journal’s new findings, published Thursday, are another sign that Russia is backing the Houthis behind the scenes after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel sparked a renewed wave of violence in the Middle East.
According to Western intelligence, the Kremlin earlier this year considered sending anti-ship missiles to the Houthis. Reuters reported in September, citing three regional and Western sources who said the deal was expected to be facilitated through Iran.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry and the Kremlin did not respond to Business Insider’s after-hours requests for comment.
As its tensions with the West rise, Moscow has made clear that it opposes Washington’s involvement in the Middle East, where the US Navy has significantly increased its presence to defend commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea and protect itself from the risk of all-out regional war. .
When the US and the UK launched dozens of attacks on Houthi targets in JanuaryDmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, condemned the attacks as “illegitimate” in the eyes of international law.
It has been going on for months harassed commercial ships in the Red Sea with drones and missilesfor what they say is retaliation against Israel for its bombing of Gaza. Health officials in Gaza they say more than 41,000 people have been killed there in Israeli attacks.
However, many of the ships attacked by Yemeni rebels often had no clear connection to Israel.
As the Red Sea became riskier to navigate and ships began diverting to the Cape route, global freight rates doubled to nearly $4,000 a container in January, then jumped to over $5,900 in July, according to the data naval research consultancy Drewry.
Fares at press time were around $3,090 according to the Drewry Index, still well above the typical $1,300 per trip last October.
Meanwhile, the US military rotated multiple aircraft carrier groups to fend off Houthi attacks in the Red Sea last week several targets in Yemen with B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.